h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

People far away from disasters are not affected? Yes, they are!

I was driving my car to the supermarket, when a radio-announcer said that the World Trade Center as well as the Pentagon was on fire because of terrorist attacks and there were rumours about explosions near the White House and several major cities in the US. (At that time, 8:40 US time, there were many rumours.) Then he announced the next piece of hit-music and left the topic.
I was stunned, thinking to myself that if this was a hoax to gather listeners, I would drive directly to the radio-studio (it’s just 8 kilometres from here) and tell them my personal opinion about what not to joke about. I quickly, almost sloppily, did my shopping and then returned to the car in time for news-on-the-hour, only to learn that it was true.
I raced home, turning the television on and saw the twin towers ablaze, the people who hurled themselves to a certain death rather than staying in the inferno, screaming bystanders in sheer panic, brave men and women who tried to save what could be saved and who got caught in the collapse, not only of the towers, but of my – and many others’ – belief in a peaceful world.
I wept for those people and for the shock I felt from this happening. I kept thinking that it could be a hoax – no, it should be a hoax – but when I looked at the stern faces of the television anchors and heard the clatter and cries from Manhattan, I knew that it was real.
In my adult life, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so scared of anything as I did when I started to realise that somebody, some extreme group, had planned and carried out this deed, using innocent civilians on planes as missiles in attacks on other innocent civilians. Taking down the World Trade Center, wrecking one of the great Western World symbols and continuing to take down part of the US defence in Pentagon? We can only speculate where the fourth plane was to hit.

I know, attacks and terror takes place every day, people are killed every day and some feel that we should not grieve so much more because of this attack, but I disagree. There are two very important differences!
One, usually the attacker is not as cynical as to use commercial airliners as the prime means of attack, thus killing not only themselves, but also the innocent passengers and crew.
And two, most importantly, these other attacks and killings take place in war-zones, in areas of unrest and upheaval where people know that there’s a real danger. That does not justify them, not at all, but it makes them less terrifying for the onlooker.
What really scared here was the violation of both aforementioned “rules”, the use of civilian aeroplanes and the attack in what can only be described as a peace-zone.
We knew there were places in this world where few or nobody could feel safe, but we thought that we lived in parts of the world where one can feel pretty safe. With this attack, nobody can feel safe anywhere.

And even in a war-zone, an attack like this would – and should – horrify the rest of the world.

Looking back and considering what happened this Tuesday and what has followed, I still feel scared. And with good reason.


A faraway bystanders view
by Kimoto
Aalborg, Denmark

, Kimoto.

Thanks.

I think we all need 's these days.

-Kimoto

We do.

s

But now what's going to happen?

- Kimoto

More people are going to die, I fear.

Yeah, I fear so too. But who?

I don't know. Hopefully as few people as possible.

Selfishly, hopefully not me.

We're all going to die. The only difference this might make is in the when, where and how...

Yeah... well...

They say that death is the final great adventure, but somehow I do not feel to eager to explore. Right?

-Kimoto

I don't mind too much, but there're a lot of things I'd like to do first. Death is fine if it comes after a good run at the appointed time... premature death by an explosive device from the sky doesn't come in that category, I have to say.

Death doesn't frighten me. Pain does, though...

Oh, don't start talking about pain...

* shudder *

Well... I suppose pain still tells us that we are still alive.

I've had this disease sinceI was 13 years old, (31 now,) it sometimes cause extreme abdominal pains for up to several months, a little like appendixcitis, just for longer. When I was first treated, I feared it was something that would kill me, but as it turned out, not at all so.
So when I'm in the hospital, in pain, drugged and perhaps fired from my job because of it, (that has happened, yes,) I still knew I could be far worse.
I could be without proper medical care. I could be without proper food, shelter or even just water to drink.
Or I could be without even the pain. Dead.

~shudder~

Or I could have been on one of those planes.

What I'm trying to say here, is that most of us, having adequate food, shelter and care, are the lucky ones. We sit here, in the comfort of our homes, schools, jobs, having a nice cuppa and surfing the Internet or even the Guide. Next time I fall ill, I'll get the treatment to get through it. When the music on my stereo stops, it's just because I need to change the CD. If my coffee gets cold, it's just a matter of making a new cup.

And the reason we are all so frightened by the later events, is because we no longer feel so secure about staying this lucky. We - you, reading this, and I, typing it - can no longer take our good fortune for granted.

And that's what scares me, just a little bit.

Ranting again, sorry. But because of the reasons aforementioned, I think we all have a lot on our hearts these days. I sure do.

Well, I'll go make some more coffee.

-Kimoto

You're right. I think you've hit it right on the head there.

Thanx.

I hope some people would realise this and appreciate what we've got. Nothing new here, lotsa great men and women said it before me, but it's better to appreciate what we have than to rant on about what we have not.

Not that a little ambition is bad, but everything in their right amount, yeah?

Sipping - Kimoto

Yes, a little ambition is good. Otherwise nobody would ever go anywhere and things would be really boring.

You know...

Some say that we wouldn't have come down from the trees if we didn't have ambition.
Some say that even the trees were a bad idea and we should never have left the ocean in the first place.

Some say I rant a lot...

-Kimoto

Some might also say you paraphrase too much...

They might...